All-Purpose Organizer

Introduction: All-Purpose Organizer

Have you been needing to organize your desk but want a convenient place to stash your pens? I have always found myself digging through drawers trying to remember where I put a particular pen, but with the All-Purpose Organizer all of my pens are displayed where I can find them on the spur of the moment! Do you hate cluttering your desk with various office supplies, such as notecards, paperclips, and post-it notes? Well, now all of your supplies can be stowed away inside the All-Purpose Organizer, where they are still in quick reach but are not creating clutter! If desks are not really your thing, the All-Purpose Organizer can be used in organizing other areas. In your bathroom, simply fasten hair clips and bobby pins to the outer pocket, and place hair brushes, combs, headbands, ponytail holders, and other items inside the Organizer.

Having a picnic this summer? The All-Purpose Organizer can neatly keep your picnic essentials from blowing away--just place cups and napkins inside the container, and slide utensils in the outer pocket for convenient reach!

The All-Purpose Organizer does not take long to make. Soon you, too, will have your very own organizer for all your organizing needs!

Materials:

Old jeans

Fabric scissors

Pencil

Ruler or tape measurer

Hot glue gun with glue sticks

A decorative fabric (could be scraps)

Large oatmeal container

A pen you plan to store in the organizer [optional--Although I state how tall I make my pocket, you may require it to be larger for your organizing needs]

Step 1: Measure, Mark, and Cut the Jeans

First, find an old pair of jeans that you do not care to cut up. You will only use a part of the pant leg. Roll up the bottom of the pant leg. Then, remove the lid from the oatmeal container. With the container upright, pull the pant leg over the oatmeal container with the rolled up pant leg pocket facing up. When the pant leg is pulled all the way to the bottom of the container, make sure the pocket is however large you would like. You may want to place a pen or a fork in the pocket to adjust the size accordingly, or you can simply make the pocket about 4 and a half inches tall, as I did. Once your pocket is as you want it, mark with your pencil on the denim along the top of the container. Cut along this line, and save the rest of the pant leg for a future project.

Step 2: Glue the Jeans to the Container

By now, hopefully you have plugged in your hot glue gun and heated it up. First, hot glue along the top edge of the container, pulling back the top of the jeans as you go and pushing down on the jeans to make sure the fabric sticks well. After you have glued the top edge of fabric to the container, trim the fabric to help the lid go on more easily. Place the lid on the container to make sure that it fits well. You may want to trim more on the hem of the jeans.

Now flip the container over. Glue the bottom edge of the fabric to the container, just as you did the top. For an added touch, make the bottom of the organizer grippy by smoothing glue over the bottom edge of the container.

Step 3: Decorate the Lid

To decorate the lid, get a scrap of fabric and place it on top of the lid. Trace around the rim of the lid, and cut out the circle. Place the circle on top of the lid, and trim it accordingly. Once you are happy with your circle, hot glue it to the top of the lid.

Tips:

To create a fun look, cut out shapes from patterned fabric, and hot glue them to the existing fabric on the lid.

Add sequins and fabric paint if you want to get even more creative.

If you are designing your All-Purpose Organizer for a picnic, use checkered fabric for the lid.

Step 4: It's Time to Organize!

Place the lid back onto your All-Purpose Organizer. You have finished making your organizer! Now you can go organize your cluttered spaces and fill your organizer with supplies! Enjoy having more order in your life with your new All-Purpose Organizer!

Bonus Tip:

If you decide you want to use your organizer for a different purpose at some point in time, or you get tired of having the same design, you can change up your whole organizer by just switching out lids! Keep a stack of different lids for different seasons to spice up your life. Redecorating your room? No problem! Just switch out the lid with a new one! The All-Purpose Organizer is truly for all purposes! :)

Comments

Wow this is really pretty and who knew denim actually has an additional purpose apart from being a pair of pants or skirt for us? I really like the idea of the folded portion of the denim to hold the additional pens and other stationery outside which gives the extra space you need.

All those pens in the outside pocket really caught my eye; they are a decoration in themselves. What a classy idea! Now at least once, I'll have to buy a cylindrical box of oatmeal instead of getting it from the bulk-foods bin so I can make one of these. Thanks.

That's so cute. I want one. Guess that means I'll have to make it. This would be a great item to make for a craft fair cause nobody else will have them. To do that you'd probably have to buy round paper mache containers unless you eat huge amounts of oatmeal. I may have to do that cause I don't know anyone that eats oatmeal in those kind of containers. Thanks for the great idea!

That's so fun! And timely! I just blew a seam in my jeans on the weekend, but otherwise they are fine, and I was hoping to find some way to use them!! And I LOOOOOVE pens & things. My only problem will be finding a container, because up here, oatmeal comes in bags, not cylinder containers. Fortunately other things come in such containers... though I suppose I could use a squarer container if I be clever about it... so fun.... soooooo fun! Thank you!!